Show HN: Hacking is not Cracking | Hacker News Reader

Show HN: Hacking is not Cracking

hackingisnotcracking.com

Inspired by our conversation here, I've set-up this site so you have somewhere to point those people that don't know the difference. Would love to hear your feedback. (I also registered hackersarenotcrackers.com as well, just in case!).

Thanks.

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The color scheme doens't exactly inspire trust in the kind of people who needs to be told this.

Also, I think this explanation is better: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hacker_(computing)#Controversy_...

That's a good point, I may put a 'more reading' section for those that are really interested in the differences.

Will see what I can do about the colour scheme, I was feeling somewhat obtuse when I created it ;)

This ongoing campaign of the hacker community is well-intentioned, but I don't think we'll ever get the term "cracker" to stick. Luckily, the term hacker has gradually come to be an umbrella term for a wide set of skills, capable of both good for evil, describing everything from building web apps to cracking DRM to security auditing, as well as the actually nefarious stuff.

(Of course, this ignores the reality that the majority of ne'er-do-wells have very little technical skill, but plenty of existing terms already fit the bill: fraudsters, vandals, thieves, etc.)

upvoted for the use of "nefarious"

made me think of a Vaudeville Villain laughing maniacally while twisting the ends of his waxed moustache and contemplating the fate of his scrambled egg addicted clientèle.... =S

The way that I've seen it develop is that the general public now uses the term "crack" pretty exclusively (in tech terms that is) to mean the breaking of copy protection on proprietary software. Whereas the term "hack" or "hacker" still languishes in the "romanticised" picture of a lone wolf stalking the internet for system vulnerabilities to take advantage of, subvert and abuse an innocent box....

I agree with some of the recent sentiments on HN about this. It seems the media and the general public are beginning to become aware of the new "meta-geek" usage of the word "hacker" and it's subterranean counterpart.

I'm now lost in the "problem" (to paraphrase a recent post - "programmers don't _love to code_ they _love to solve problems_) of how to eat an egg without braking the shell?

I think this should be a contest - best answer gets upvotes?

I think the primary assumptions of the problem must be thrashed out first.

1. The Egg is to be an average sized chicken egg - none of them quails jive! 2. Eat: as in to consume the whole, 3. Egg: as in the Yolk and the White (albumen for the l334) 4. Without "Breaking the Shell": I think this needs to be defined as it would seem that careful incisions that could be reversed so as to leave the overall shape of the shell intact should be allowed. 5. ABSOLUTELY NO PUNS!

EGGcelent idea! (you asked for it... =P)

But yeh, what counts as 'breaking' the shell? Can i dissolve the egg shell in some sort of acid? concentrated sulphuric maybe? I hear acetic acid works but its incredibly slow.

Dagnabbit! Why can't I downvote!!

doin a quick bit of research while waiting for the day to finish (trans: working), I found that the chemical composition of Egg shell is mostly Calcium Carbonate (CaCO3) and that this can be effectively dissolved using many common acids. So putting an egg in vinegar (acetic acid) for some time would eventually dissolve away the shell (which is technically not _breaking_ it).

.... any others?

EDIT: saved by the common brainfart

the problem with Sulfuric is that you have to be able to eat the egg itself afterwards ;)

You punch a small hole in each end and blow through one.

http://www.minkhollow.ca/HatchingProgram/Activities/BlowEgg....

Nah, that's voiding the definition of "without _breaking_ the shell" - you have to be able to reconstitute the shell, leaving it looking as though nothing had happened.

This is the obvious answer, but we're hackers - we need to be pedantic and anal otherwise there's no real fun in forcing others to think beyond there assumptions.

;)

keep trying

As far as I am concerned a 'cracker' is someone who breaks encryption/codes or someone who makes modifcations to software to remove protection methods. and a 'hacker', well... that's more open to interpritation.

I think what people have to realise is, that language evolves and words take on new meanings, A name is just a name, let your actions speak louder than your label.

Inspired by our conversation here http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=575487 , I've set-up this site so you have somewhere to point those people that don't know the difference. Would love to hear your feedback. (I also registered hackersarenotcrackers.com as well, just in case!).

Thanks.

It's good this thing exists. Hope everyone can help to improve this & the author is ready to get feedback.

also, writing that a cracker is a "burgler" instead of a "burglar" does not make it more authoritative.

Spotted. Thanks.

I can't help but laugh at people who don't realize this war is long since lost.

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